School places fear amid homes plan
PLANS have been submitted for the final phase of a 1,500-home development in Bridgend amid concerns there are already children living on the estate who can’t get into local schools.
Persimmon Homes West Wales wants to build a further 102 houses on the Parc Derwen estate in Coity, Bridgend.
The application comprises a mix of two, three and four-bedroom properties, including 10 affordable homes.
At the start, outline permission was granted for 1,515 – the new application will see the number of homes exceed that number by 71, with the developer saying there would now be 20 affordable homes on site.
However, ward county councillor Amanda Williams warned any children moving into the new homes would not be going to Coety Primary School because it is full.
She said: “I think it’s at crisis point – there are already people who live in Parc Derwen and can see the school but can’t get into it.
“Meanwhile, people from the village, where the school was taken from and moved to its new location, can’t get in due to the sibling rule and no longer living closest to the school. I understand any Section 106 money from the developer can go towards additional places but there’s no physical space to put these children.
“Litchard Primary is full, Coety is full – children are going to Pen y Fai which is well over two miles – and if they’re over nursery age, they’re entitled to free transport because they can’t be put in their catchment school.
“Will money have to be spent on transporting these children elsewhere?”
Cllr Williams said there were also concerns that Persimmon had only created one play park so far for children on the estate, adding there were also no bins, shops or cycle paths.
Cllr Williams, who sits on the local authority’s development control committee, said the council needed to put in conditions to make sure facilities were in place before more houses were built.
A spokesman for Persimmon Homes West Wales said it endeavoured to continue to improve the external environment as the development nears completion.
He said: “We cannot comment on the situation with places at Coety Primary School, other than to say a new school has been built as part of the development, part-funded by Persimmon, as agreed as part of the initial planning consent.
“We meet Cllr Williams regularly to try to address her concerns and will keep dialogue open.”